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ROMUALDEZ WELCOMES BELMONTE STAND

ROMUALDEZ WELCOMES BELMONTE STAND VS POLITICAL CHA-CHA• August 20, 2014• Written by Ryan Ponce Pacpaco• Published in Top StoriesHOUSE independent bloc leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez welcomed yesterday the steadfast position of Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. against political Charter change (Cha-cha) as one of the stalwarts of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) proposed that whatever political revision to be made in the Constitution should benefit those who will be elected after the 2016 presidential polls.Romualdez, president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), said it would not look good if the economic Cha-cha of Belmonte carries political Cha-cha to allow President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to seek reelection in 2016.“We (independent bloc) welcome the position of Speaker Belmonte against possible insertion of political amendments to the Constitution during plenary debates of his economic Cha-cha. We will oppose all moves to push political Charter change especially the shortcut scheme,” said Romualdez, a lawyer.Earlier, Romualez predicted Belmonte would remain committed to their resolution rejecting political amendments to the Constitution.Buhay Hayaang Yumabong (Buhay) party-list Rep. Lito Atienza recalled that Belmonte promised six months ago that he would not touch the political provisions in the process of deliberating on the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.Belmonte said any political amendments like what Caloocan City Rep. Egay Erice, a stalwart of LP and a very close associate of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Mar Roxas, has been proposing to allow President Aquino to run for reelection should pass the normal process of legislation.